Peeling and proud!

Richard kids
Richard Family
The whole Sapp Family clan
Our tineey family!!
Can you see my drool??
Out for a stroll
View from G & G's side yard
Happy 50th Aunt Mary
The diaper change!

Cindy & Max

Poolin it!!

Playing with cousin Max

Yes, I am sitting back in the slightly less warm and sunny Illinois, but the weekend in AZ did everyone lots of good. A little sunshine will go a long ways. My Grandparents kept telling me to put lotion on, but I wasn't listening I guess, so now I am peeling......a small price to pay for a few days at a pool!

The first few days just Aunt Cindy, Max, mom, G & G, and I were down there and we had a great time poolin it and hangin with the kids. Then the rest of the 21 (plus 2 highchairs:)!!) showed up and it was quite a group. We went down to celebrate Aunt Mary's 50th and Easter of coarse. Boys golfed and girls layed out and shopped....surprise, surprise!! It was the refresher that we all needed!!

Just another reminder for me how blessed we are to have family and friends to celebrate life with. Ryan and I are overflowing with gratitude for that!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the great weekend......thanks family for being so great.....and thanks most of all to Jesus for dying on the cross for us!

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on it's way!!!!

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Ok, so as you can tell by the titles of my posts, I was formally a second grade teacher.....so sorry for the "bulletin boardesc" way that I put this blog together.

We just wanted to say "Happy Easter" to all of our friends and family.....and what better way is there to say it than dressing your kid up in makeup and some bunny ears and posting a few snap shots! HA! Poor Griffin! Ryan was beside himself as I carefully applied the eyeliner whiskers and pink lipstick nose, but he was a good sport and for the most part so was Griff(you can see his disgust in one of the photos!!)! Hope you all enjoy our little bit of sunshine in bunny attire. As my sister commented, I am "such a mom" (because I wear "mom" jewelry with Griffin's name on it according to her) and I have resorted to cheesily dressing up my son for every holiday. It's hard to resist though.

Things are going good here for us at the moment! We seem to be slowly easing into our new life here. We are both finding things to get involved in and trying to meet some new people so that is helping. We think we have found a church which is huge for us and just the weather taking a turn for the better helps everyone I think. This is my favorite season change......love the promise that it brings....even when everything is gross, dirty, and frozen in life.....spring still comes......plus I can almost pull my flip flops out!

We are taking off to Arizona for the weekend to spend it with Abbi's mom's side of the family and couldn't be more excited to get out of the freezer(although it is getting better) and into the sun.....and most importantly getting in some family time! So you can imagine what our next set of pictures will feature........Griffin got a new swim suit(coming soon)!!!

Oldies but GOODIES....we love our friends!

The last 2 weekends we have been very blessed in our house to have visitors.....and not just any visitors but good friends......which we have come to see as priceless being out here and knowing no one.....and understanding that along the way we have found the real deal. How come it isn't until you look back that you get it!?!? There is NOTHING like an old....good friend. I mean seriously the kind of friend who knew you back when you came to school in high heeled tennis shoes, black and white striped shorts, braces, and your hair....let's not even go there. These people CHOSE to sit at the lunch table by you......they love you even though you had not quite grown into yourself yet....do we ever really:). The people that know you, and love you anyways.....the people that you can be totally honest with, totally yourself with, and just feel at home with whenever you are together.....that is the most amazing gift. Isn't God amazing!!??!! He is a God of relationship and he not only provides these people in our life when we need them, he also allows us to have these relationships that span years, miles, and changes. As we all add husbands, dogs, and kids our hearts only get bigger and make more room for the next addition. God is not only allowing us total JOY through these people but is also allowing us to see him in different lights through them....all glorifying to him! He is SO GOOD. We are SO BLESSED. Seeing my friends love my son.....my husband....and my dog is the one of the greatest things that I have gotten to experience. It's the family that you make along the way that makes life so rich and that helps me to really understand God's perfect plan in perfect timing.

Thank you to the Hoins family, the Peterson family, and the Tigulis family(we missed you Andy) for being these kind of friends.....and even better, FAMILY and for coming to visit! We love you! There are no pics from when Zach and Case came(how did that happen???)....but here are some from our mini high school reunion!